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Sheriff Liddle added: “It is very likely and it is almost inevitable result of the verdict that this will result in a custodial order. You may very well want to spend your time between now and sentencing putting your affairs in order.”

The court heard that McMurdo targeted the girl between December 2011 and August 2012 after making contact with her through a dating website called R U Interested.

McMurdo then started exchanging messages with her through Facebook and their mobile phones, including photographs of sex acts.

He also got the girl to send him images of her naked and performing sex acts.

During the case, McMurdo gave evidence in which he claimed he thought the girl was 19 because that was the age she had on her Facebook profile.

He told defence solicitor advocate John Keenan that he entered into a “sexting” relationship with the young woman in which they indulged in “naughty schoolgirl” fantasies.

He said: “She was a very well developed girl, a very physically mature girl.

“It was a fantasy cyber encounter. It was sexting.”

McMurdo went on to insist that he would not have contacted the girl if he knew she was just 13.